Independent Lens
Belly of the Beast
In California’s women prisons, incarcerated people who were sterilized without their consent fight for justice.
I Am Not Going to Change 400 Years in Four
Satana Deberry, Durham County’s Black woman D.A., campaigned on sweeping reform. Now in office she’s learning just how tough upsetting the status quo can be.
- Series
- Independent Lens
- Premiere Date
- May 4, 2021
- Length
- 13 minutes
Co-Director
Angela Tucker
Angela Tucker is an EmmyⓇ Award-winning producer of Belly of the Beast. Past directorial work includes All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk, Black Folk Don’t, and (A)Sexual. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a recipient of Film Independent's Amplifier Fellowship and a Chicken and Egg 2023 Award.
Co-Director
Kristi Jacobson
Kristi Jacobson is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker. Some of her films include Solitary, winner of an Emmy Award for Outstanding Investigative Documentary and Independent Spirit Truer Than Fiction Award nominee; Take Back the Harbor; A Place at the Table; and "Cartel Bank," an episode of the Netflix Original series Dirty Money.
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The Film
When Satana Deberry took the oath of office as district attorney of Durham County, North Carolina, in January 2019, it was a momentous occasion—for the city of Durham and for her, as a Black woman elected to an office historically held by white men. She ran her campaign being vocal about the over-policing of Black and Brown people, promising sweeping reform. Now, more than a year into office, she faces the complicated realities of seeking to reform an unbalanced criminal justice system and support a community ravaged by gun violence. She’s learning that implementing change will be harder than she could have anticipated.
